Qualifying a replacement supplier in Vietnam
Updated: 2026-08-31
A buyer needed a second source when the China supplier hit capacity. An RFQ shortlisted three candidates in Vietnam; registration checks and one on-site audit qualified one with documented evidence.
Problem
The buyer's single source could not absorb a new order volume. The buyer published an RFQ for the same product, and three Vietnamese factories responded with quotes and certificates.
Investigation
- 1. Compared the three quotes, capacities and certificates side by side.
- 2. Confirmed enterprise registration for each candidate and matched the legal entity to the quote.
- 3. Ran a supplier risk assessment to score the candidates on the same scale.
- 4. Booked one on-site audit for the leading candidate to verify the production site and quality system.
Findings
One supplier was qualified with verified registration and a clean audit report. The buyer placed an initial order with staged inspections and kept the China source for the rest of the volume.
- ·Registration confirmed for all three candidates; two had capacity below the requirement.
- ·The leading candidate's production site and quality system matched the quote.
- ·The audit report came back with no critical findings.
Risk score
Indicative score before the work described above. Higher score means lower risk. This is an illustrative figure for the example, not a real verification result.
Recommendation
Qualify the audited supplier for an initial order with staged inspections, and keep the existing source for the remaining volume.
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